


Drabbles and Outtakes

by dementor_ssc



Series: Transcendence AU drabbles [11]
Category: Gravity Falls, Transcendence AU - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Transcendence (Gravity Falls), Demon Summoning, Demons, Drabbles, F/M, Gen, POV Original Character, Randomness, Slice of Life, not in any sort of order or logic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-10 22:51:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 6,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8942725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dementor_ssc/pseuds/dementor_ssc
Summary: This is where I'll put all the little bits and snippets that were either too short, too silly or too far from canon to fit into my other TAU stories.
These won't be in any kind of logical order. Most will be in response to other fics, prompts or reviews. Usually someway related to the Demonology Student Dipper arc. You might want to read that one first, or these won't make any sense.





	1. At least she's not climbing the drapes (yet)

**Author's Note:**

> jeprose01 said "Now I'm imagining this car as a cat." about Rainbow Basher. And she does have a playful side...
> 
> Drabble for [Drives Like A Demon](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7167431/chapters/16270253).

It was so easy to get his groceries now he had a car! He didn't have to walk two blocks lugging his little overflowing pushcart, looking ridiculous and cursing all the while about the insane amount of snacks and next time he'd let Tyrone get them himself, damn it. No, he could just drive to the nearest supermarket and get groceries for the entire month, easily loading them in his shiny new car - well, borrowed actually, but definitely shiny. Really turned grocery shopping into much less of a hassle.

He unloaded all the bags from the car - sheesh, that was a lot, the car was pretty much surrounded by bags, he'd maybe gone a bit overboard - and started dragging them inside, one by one. When he returned to the car he noticed one of the bags had tipped over. Great. He hoped the eggs weren't broken, that was such a mess...

While he kneeled to collect all the stuff that had fallen out, he heard the car door on the other side slam open and closed. Huh.

He finished collecting everything back in the bag - thankfully the eggs were still whole - and went to look at the other side of the truck. The bag closest to the car door had tipped over, spilling candy bars all over the driveway.

"Seriously?" Thomas said. "Did you do this, Rainbow?"

He saw the door on the other side move, very quietly.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said. Oh no - the eggs!

He was just in time to see the other car door slowly move towards the bag he'd just finished putting back. "Don't you dare!"

The car door stilled for a moment. Then, lightning quick, it opened and closed again, even bending a bit downward just to reach the top of the bag and making it crash to the ground again.

Thomas looked at the egg yolk dripping through the bag and sighed.


	2. A question from Mizar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> readerdreamer5625 had a wild idea about shipping Thomas with a R!Mizar. I _kinda_ headcanon the current R!Mizar as being on the other side of the world and thus unlikely to ever meet up with the demonology gang (unless Dipper meddles of course) but this was still fun to write. :-)
> 
> A drabble for [Dating Advice](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7553764/chapters/17179945).

"Miss Wethers? A word, please."

She perked up as Thomas held her back from leaving with the rest of his first year students. He’d been debating whether to talk to her or not, but in the end he didn’t really have a choice now, did he?

“Yes, professor Strange?” Amy Wethers said, eyes wide and hopeful.

He waited until the other students had all left. Then he waved her towards his desk and opened up his laptop.

“I had a slight issue when I wanted to grade your essay, Miss Wethers,” he said, and turned the screen towards her.

It was frozen on a page with a light pink background and the following words in bold black script:

****_Do you like me?_  
_O Yes_  
_O Definitely!  
_ _O Absolutely!!!_

Frozen was an understatement, actually. He hadn’t been able to get rid of the screen, and his laptop had stubbornly refused to be turned off. The only way to get rid of the screen was, presumably, to answer the poll.

It was awkward enough to have an infatuated student, but apparently this was just a thing that younger teachers had to get used to. Hicks had only laughed and patted his shoulder the first time it happened to Thomas, when he was still Hicks’s doctorate student. He was a lot closer in age to the students then, which had made it a tad less awkward.

“There’s just something about the scruffy professor type that students like,” Hicks had said. “The university frowns on student-teacher relationships though, so don’t let these things get out of hand. Best to ignore it.”

So Thomas had tried ignoring it, which usually worked fine. But Miss Wethers had made it impossible this time, with her little computer trick. And considering who she was… He’d rather nip this in the bud before Tyrone got to hear about it.

“I have to admit, I’m impressed with your tech knowledge. Did you incorporate a spell in it? Because it’s impossible to turn off.”

Her smile managed to be both proud and nervous. “I may have added a few spells, yes. Aren’t you going to answer it, sir?”

He closed his laptop with a quiet click and tapped his fingers on the desk. “Miss Wethers… I’m flattered, but I am your teacher. It just wouldn’t be proper, you know?”

“You won't be my teacher forever," she said. "And the age difference? Pfft, that is easily solved! I'm nineteen, you're forty -"

"Er, thirty, actually." Come on, he didn’t have that many grey hairs!

"Even better!” she said. “That's just eleven years! But if it's a bother, I'll ask Alcor to take five years of my life and add them to yours. Then we'll be about the same age! I'm sure I can convince that dork." She batted her eyelashes. "I can be _very_  persuasive."

"You've really thought this through," he said.

She beamed at him. "Like you said, professor. A good demonologist is always prepared."

"Yes, you've eh, covered all the angles," Thomas said. "Except for one."

"Try me," she said.

"I don't think my fiancée would like this."

Her flirty smile faltered.

"Oh," she said.

"Yes," Thomas said.

“It’s not an arranged and loveless marriage that you can’t get out of unless a brave young woman convinces you to fight your destiny, by any chance?” she said, without much hope in her voice.

“Not really,” Thomas said. “I, well, I’m very happy with my fiancée.”

Besides, Elisha would probably run him over with her car if he’d do something as crass as cheat on her - not that he’d ever consider such a thing.

Amy Wethers seemed to deflate even more.

“Oh,” she said again. “Okay. This’ll have to be one of those tragic stories about unrequited love, then. Whoof, haha, this is embarrassing... I guess I should give you the counterspell for my little program now...”

Thomas opened up his laptop again. The pink page with its hopeful words was still there.

He clicked ‘yes’ and the page faded, leaving behind an opened text document with Amy Wethers’ essay.

“I know you’re a wonderful person, Miss Wethers,” he said. “Anyone would be lucky to have a girlfriend like you. Just… someone more your own age, maybe? Trust me, you’ll be just fine.”

Whoever she ended up with, they’d need nerves of steel to get through her overprotective demon ‘brother’, but surely _someone_  would be brave enough, right?

“I suppose,” she said. “I’m sorry for the… misunderstanding.”

“It’s okay,” he said. “If you ever need help with something, don’t hesitate to come to me. Just… not for dating stuff.”

“Yeah. Thank you.”

She looked so dejected. It was ridiculous, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty. She was usually all smiles and optimism…

“Want to hear a joke before you go?” he said.

That did get a faint smile out of her. “A joke?”

Here goes…

“Why was the mushroom happy?” Thomas asked.

“Because he was a fun guy?”

“Because he was - oh. You know that one.”

She snickered. “Yep. And wow, Aldork wasn’t kidding when he warned me about your sense of humor.”

“He isn’t any better!” Thomas protested. “Trust me, I got all my bad jokes from _him_. And don’t you have class in a few minutes?”

“I do - I better run! Bye, professor!”

“Yes, yes - and Miss Wethers?” he stopped her, before she could leave his classroom. “Don’t _ever_  trade away years of your life. Not for _anyone_. It’s much too precious. Promise?”

She smiled. “Promise.”


	3. Meanwhile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I loved ThisCat's [Thomas and Elisha](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7785514/chapters/17759272) so much and I just had to drabble for it. This is what I imagined happening during that poker night.

There was a ringing silence as Thomas and Elisha fled to the kitchen.

“I don’t get it,” Eduardo said, when the silence had lasted long enough to turn the air in the room stiffling with tension. “Isn’t her car sentient? How can you have a car accident with a sentient car?”

“You can’t,” Maria said. “Not an _accident_.”

“But - oh.”

“I knew it,” Brad said, way too triumphant for what just happened. “I _knew_  there had to be some kind of catch!”

“Shut up, Brad,” Maria said, giving him a sharp poke to the shoulder. She turned to Tyrone, who was blinking at the closed kitchen door with the air of a kicked puppy. “What the _hell_  is wrong with you?”

“What?” Tyrone sputtered. “Every word I said was true.”

“You’re completely missing the point!”

“Can we tone down the physical violence please? Tyrone might not bruise, but I do,” Brad said, rubbing his shoulder sulkily.

“Dude,” Eduardo said. “Did she really -?”

“Yep. So excuse me for wanting to warn Thomas.”

“That wasn’t a warning,” Maria said. “That was bullying. Because you were losing a freaking card game and you couldn’t handle that.”

Tyrone stared at her. “Not at all! I just - and she - listen, this isn’t -”

“It kinda was,” Eduardo said, with a worried glance at the kitchen door.

“You’ve been upping the creepiness all night,” Maria said. “We’re used to you - she isn’t. And you _knew_ that. So I’ll ask again: what the hell, Tyrone?”

“Aren’t _you_ missing the point now, Maria?” Brad piped up. He fiddled with his nearly depleted stack of candy. “I mean… apparently she did kill someone.”

Maria looked at Tyrone. “Did she have a good reason?”

“Seriously?”

“What? We don’t know the whole story. So, did she?”

For a split second Tyrone got that far-away look in his eyes again. Then he cringed.

“I’m guessing that’s a yes,” Maria said. “You _asshat_.”

Brad threw his hands up in disbelief. “Are we really going to ignore what she did to her ex-boyfriend? Who’s to say she won’t do the same to Thomas when she gets tired of him?”

“So, we can’t trust anyone with a bodycount?” Maria said, eyes locked on Tyrone. “That’s the point you’re making?”

Tyrone made himself even smaller.

“... right,” Brad said. “I forgot about that. Uh. It’s still not the same, but maybe if you explain her reasons -”

“I think I’ve violated her privacy enough,” Tyrone said quietly. “So I’m going to shut up now. Excuse me, I have some apologies to make.”

He grabbed the large chocolate bar from the table and hesitantly walked to the kitchen.

“Right,” Maria said decisively. “Let’s hope he didn’t ruin Thomas’ relationship with this nonsense. I think I like Elisha. Including her murderous Car. Besides, you’ve got to admire how clever it is, a sentient car as a murder weapon.”

“Please don’t get any ideas,” Brad muttered.

“Don’t be ridiculous, there’s no one I want dead. Maybe maimed a little…”

“But then they’d be alive to tell everyone about the sentient car that maimed them,” Eduardo said matter-of-factly. “That could be problematic.”

Brad groaned. “I’m not bailing you out if you ever try this, okay?”

“Aw, but that’s what rich friends are _for_.”

“Yeah, I’m going to warn Thomas never to let you borrow Rainbow Basher. Or Elisha’s Car, if she sticks around after this.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “I’m just kidding! Sheesh, if I wanted to get rid of someone I wouldn’t let myself get caught anyway.”

“... I’m not feeling reassured at all.”

“Oh, shut up Brad.”


	4. A Baaaaaaa'd Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ThisCat was wondering if demonic energy contains the necessary nutritional value for a growing lamb.
> 
> A drabble for [Not Cut Out For Animal Sacrifice](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7167431/chapters/17918770).

“Good luck with your roses,” Alessio said, with a friendly goodbye to his latest customer.

He liked working in the Garden&Home Center. They sold a wide selection of things, from gardening and baking supplies to pet food and animal feed. You got all kinds of customers at a place like this. Old grannies buying specialty flours for their homemade bread, trendy young girls trying their hand at cake decorating, casual gardeners attempting to revive their roses and of course plenty of pet owners, browsing the selection of dog and cat toys.

He saw a very diverse mix of people, from all dressed up to straight-from-the-chicken-coop.

He’d never seen…. whatever had just entered.

It moved through the store purposefully and disappeared into the animal feed aisle. Alessio kept staring.

Maybe he’d imagined it. It could be merely a bad dream.

“Hey, was that a sheep?” his coworker Hassan asked.

“You saw it too?”

He was cursed with a strong Sight, unfortunately. It was difficult to live in a world where you saw what was really there while everyone around you was blind to the truth. His family had long considered him attention-seeking, or gifted with an overactive imagination, before he had been diagnosed to have the Sight. He usually tried to ignore what he Saw, but if Hassan had seen it too...

“How could I miss that? It’s not everyday a sheep walks into the store,” Hassan said. “Should we catch it?”

“NO! No,” Alessio said, trying not to shout. “Definitely not.”

Whatever that thing had been… It had not been just a sheep.

There it was again. It was pushing a cart towards the register.

“A sheep buying hay and sheep pellets,” Hassan said. “Now I’ve seen everything!”

Oh, have mercy on my soul, Alessio thought. The Not-a-sheep stopped at his register and looked at him.

No.

Looked.

It had wool, dark and gleaming. It had horns. It had eyes that burned with intelligence that no animal should ever have.

It moved a paw - were those claws? - and some kind of credit card dropped on the counter. It didn’t look like any credit card Alessio had ever seen before, entirely black with only a golden star on the front. No name, no expiration date, nothing.

Only a golden star with an eye in the center.

A clever man knows when to work swiftly, Alessio thought, and quickly typed in the product codes of the bag of sheep feed and the thirty-litre pack of hay. He could have scanned it, but that would mean leaning over the counter. That was… too close to whatever that Not-a-sheep was.

Those eyes - how many eyes!? - seemed to stare into his very soul.

Terror froze his movements with the card halfway to the card reader.

Oh merciful God.

That card.

He’d suddenly recognized the symbol.

His training kicked in. “That’ll be twelve ninety-five, please. Would you be interested in filling in a customer satisfaction survey?”

“Sheep can’t write,” Hassan piped in, watching with interest from his own register.

The Not-a-sheep stared at him. Then it shook its head and nodded meaningfully at the card reader.

Alessio pushed in the credit card and a series of weird numbers and letters moved across his screen, before turning into the standard PURCHASES PAID FOR message.

He gingerly took the card out of the machine and slid it across the counter, back to the Not-a-sheep.

“We also have an online store,” he said, his mouth still running on automatic. “We can deliver your purchases right to your front door, no hassle of coming to the store yourself. Have a flyer.”

The thing actually took a flyer, very carefully, so as not to pierce the paper with its claws. Then it nodded at him again and pushed the cart with its purchases out of the door.

Alessio stared after it through the glass doors until it disappeared somewhere on the parking lot. There one moment, gone the next.

“That was one well-trained sheep,” Hassan said. “The funniest thing I ever saw! I wonder if it’s from a circus, maybe. It must be something special.”

Alessio swallowed. His heartbeat was still set to ‘frightened hummingbird’ instead of ‘normal human’.

He really, really hoped that Not-a-sheep would use the online store next time.


	5. Such a Ravenclaw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have you read ThisCat's [Inevitable Hogwarts AU](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8717590/chapters/20272984)? 
> 
> How could I resist?

The first Hogsmeade trip came right on time to do some Christmas shopping. This time of the year the village was a vision of glowing lights and pristine snow, and the Three Broomsticks would be serving their seasonal Pumpkin Spice Butterbeer with whipped cream.

Too bad he was going to miss all of that.

Thomas couldn't help but sulk a bit as he hung around the little side room next to the stairs which was informally known as the Commonest Room. It was actually just another study hall which some past hero had redecorated, putting in couches and plants as room dividers. The end result was cosy, perfect for meeting up with non-Ravenclaw friends who were too loud to be allowed into the Library.

Eddy and Tyrone were running late. They had Divination together right now, so that wasn't so odd. Divination tended to be especially unpredictable in their year, he'd heard. (Of course Tyrone got blamed for that, but he got blamed for everything weird happening in Hogwarts. Though not to his face). Apparently the Divination professor would alternate between sprouting gibberish and being creepily upbeat. She added little notes to Tyrone's homework too, mostly about how he was too talented for her class and could he _please_ take a different one?

Thomas was glad he didn't take Divination. That teacher sounded seriously unhinged.

"Why the long face?" Brad interrupted his musings. "You're been glaring at your essay for the last ten minutes."

"Yeah, you're usually gushng all about arrays and mathematical nonsense when you're working on your essay for Ancient Runes," Maria said. A look of realisation flitted across her face. "Oh, right. The Hogsmeade trip."

"It's tomorrow," Brad said. "What of it? Oh! You still have detention?"

"Not tomorrow," Thomas admitted. "But my Hogsmeade priviliges have been revoked until - I quote - I'm 'a responsible young wizard who can be trusted on his own'."

"Ouch," Brad said. "So... never?"

"Gee, thanks Brad."

"You know... you can sneak out," Maria said. "I happen to know a way. There's a hidden pathway between Hogwarts and Honeydukes. It's a secret that has been handed down for generations, but I'm willing to share it with you."

Brad gave her a weird look. "Handed down for generations? You're Muggleborn."

"I'm awesome, that's what I am," she grinned. "Some of us have connections. So what do you say, Thomas?"

Thomas thought it over for a moment. He sighed. "I really can't. If I get caught I'll be in detention until graduation. And I don't like breaking the rules like that."

"Of course, sneaking into Hogsmeade is a horrible crime," Maria said. "Reading forbidden Dark Arts books on the other hand, that's totally okay."

Thomas flushed. That was, after all, the reason for this detention.

"What on earth were you thinking anyway?" Brad asked. "Reading a book called 'Magick Most Evile' _in public?_ "

"It's just a book," Thomas said. "Knowledge isn't evil, it's what you do with it that matters! I was just curious."

Maria shook her head at him. "Merlin, you're such a _Ravenclaw_."

"Well yeah. I've got a blue tie and everything. Are you Gryffindors only noticing this now?"

He'd gotten into a lot of trouble about that book. Tyrone had loaned it to him, after Thomas read some obscure reference in a totally-legal book and made an off-hand comment about wishing to know more about it. Who knew where Tyrone had found it... Well, the Headmistress had it now.

"Psh, careful there," Maria teased. "We're outnumbering you right now."

"Not anymore," Thomas said, smiling as he spotted Eddy and Tyrone approaching.

"How was Divination?"

"Same same," Eddy said, dropping in the seat next to Brad. Tyrone only grinned.

"You're both going to Hogsmeade tomorrow, right?" Brad asked. "Don't leave me alone with Maria. People will think it's a date or something."

Maria punched his shoulder. "Like you'd be so lucky."

"That hurt."

" _Episkey_. There, you're all better now."

"Of course I'm going," Eddy said. "I need to get my Christmas shopping done."

"Honeydukes," Tyrone said. "I'm going to Honeydukes."

"No surprise there," Brad said. "I don't think I've seen you go anywhere else on a Hogsmeade visit. That storekeeper can retire by the time we graduate."

"I hope I'll get to see another Hogsmeade trip before we graduate," Thomas said, sourly.

Tyrone gave him a commisserating look. "Still grounded?"

"Sadly, yes."

"We can bring you something back, if you want," Eddy offered. "It's no trouble."

"Thanks Eddy."

"You know, if you really want to go, I could arrange something," Tyrone said.

Maria made a face. "Don't bother. I already offered."

Tyrone met his eyes. He could probably Apparate Thomas to Hogsmeade and back without anyone being the wiser - add some invisibility too, if needed.

"... just get some Sugar Quills for me," Thomas said. "The fancy gift wrapped package, for my Mum."

"Will do," Eddy promised.

He couldn't take advantage of Tyrone's.... _condition_ like that. The professors were already keeping a close eye on the both of them. That didn't seem to bother Tyrone, but you never knew... Maybe there was some kind of expert out there who could actually figure out how to harm him. Magic could do so much. 

It was probably completely unnecessary, Tyrone being whatever he was, but Thomas couldn't help but worry about his misfit friend.

"Talking about Christmas gifts, you're all invited to my house for the traditional New Year's Eve party," Brad said.

Maria frowned. "How is that a gift?"

"Have you ever _been_ to my house?"

Thomas smiled at the familiar sound of Gryffindor bickering. Eddy was writing down a list of everything he had promised to get in Hogsmeade. He was a popular guy, their Eddy - he had a whole little army of lower years who came to him for a listening ear or a motivational talk, even before he'd become Prefect.

"So... Christmas," Tyrone said. "What do you want this year? Wait, no, don't tell me," he put his hand dramatically to his forehead, "I'm having a vision... a book. You want a book."

"I'm in awe of your divination skills," Thomas said, dryly. "But yes. Er... Maybe one that isn't illegal, this time?"

"I'll try. Laws are boring."

Thomas wisely decided not to comment on that. "I've already ordered my present for you, by the way."

Tyrone's eyes widened. "Is it one of your mother's cakes? Please say yes."

"You'll just have to wait and see."

"What flavour of buttercream? How many tiers? Is there going to be chocolate in it? Come on, you've got to tell me something..."

A group of first-years noticed Tyrone's attempt at puppy eyes and fled.

Thomas grinned.


	6. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was [this prompt on the TAU blog](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/150183413104/kalmia-latifolia-commonly-called-mountain-laurel) about 'Demon Laurel' and it went a bit like this: 
> 
> "This flower becomes known as Demon Laurel or Demonoligist’s Laurel due to both its toxicity and natural geometric pattern, not to mention its symbolism. It is frequently given to young people who have announced their desired field of study, or left on their doorstep (this is considered snide, using the negative meaning of the flower and indicating disdain for their interest). 
> 
> It is know that one should never gift or sacrifice these to Alcor the Dreambender, as to him they represent death and hatred. Enemy cults and demons believe that is actually has a negative affect on him."
> 
> So yeah... This drabble is set somewhere shortly after Thomas' graduation.

Thomas smiled. It was a bit weird to get flowers, but okay, these were traditional and his grandmother meant well. Demon Laurel, to congratulate him for attaining his doctorate in demonology. He’d have to send her a thank you note. Or maybe pay her a visit, it had been a while…

Tyrone looked up from the couch as Thomas walked past to put the flowers into the kitchen sink. “Who was that at the door?”

“Delivery guy,” Thomas said. Hm, did he have anything he could use as a vase? Maybe the cooking pot he normally used for spaghetti, that one was big enough… “Grandma sent flowers. Do you know if we have anything to put them in? I was thinking -”

_Whoosh._

A tongue of blue flames, a flash of heat. 

Thomas stared at the blackened, ruined stems in his kitchen sink. The sink itself was patterned with soot.

“… or that,” he deadpanned. “Don’t need a vase now, do I? You really have a solution for everything. Great. Thanks.”

“Sorry,” Tyrone said, smiling sheepishly. “I just really dislike those flowers.”

“You could at least have left the attached card intact.”

“Whoops.”


	7. Next Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A response to [this post on tumblr](http://flying-guinea-pig.tumblr.com/post/146293120469/reika-sakura-psycho-alchemist-so) about weird circles being drawn all over campus.
> 
> This drabble is set somewhere in that final semester before graduation.

Elisabeth had spend the entire night on this. And again this morning, after that stupid rain shower washed away half of them. But finally she was done - the demonology building was surrounded by banishing circles. Ha! Let “Evergreen” try to get in now!

Speaking of the devil, there he was. She held her breath as he approached. There were other people around, good. They had to see.

Evergreen paused. He turned to her, where she was waiting next to the hedge, and he smiled slowly.

From one second to the next the sunny june sky turned overcast. Rain poured down, a real torrent. The carefully drawn chalk was gone in no time at all.

“Good morning, Adams,” Evergreen cheerfully said as he passed her. “You look a bit tired.”

The sudden rain plastered her hair to her face. She took a deep breath.

She’d get him next time.


	8. Tyrone's Niece

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was [this ask on the TAU blog](http://transcendence-au.tumblr.com/post/144607280045/so-there-are-fics-with-demonology-student-dipper) about Lucy-Ann meeting Dipper's college friends. I wrote this before So You Want To Be A Demonologist was finished, so this is that poker night Thomas is referring to in that final chapter.

“Sorry I’m late for the poker game, guys. I brought snacks!”

Thomas blinked. Snacks wasn’t the only thing Tyrone had brought.

“Oh, and this is my… niece, Lucy Ann.” Tyrone added, as the little dark-skinned girl followed him inside.

“I didn’t know you had a niece! She’s adorable,” Maria laughed, shuffling the cards. “Nice to meet you kid. I’m Maria, and these weirdos are Brad, Eddy and Thomas. So what kind of games do you like? We can play a round of Go Fish if you want.”

“Nice to meet you too.” The little girl smiled. The way she spoke was oddly mature for her age. “I have heard so much about you. And I’ll be playing poker, please.”

“Well… do you know the rules?”

Tyrone grinned. “Don’t worry - she does.”

* * *

 

It was an hour later and Thomas his stash of chips was nearly gone. He shouldn’t have underestimated that little kid.

Eduardo elbowed him. “Dude,” he whispered. “I think Tyrone’s niece may be a vampire.”

“Stars, I hope she is,” Thomas said, looking at his last few, lonely poker chips. “Or I’ve just been fleeced by a five-year-old.”


	9. Henry's Hogwarts Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TAUwarts is the brainchild of ThisCat and I love this idea so much! 
> 
> [This ask about TAUwarts](http://ii-thiscat-ii.tumblr.com/post/154476643751/ah-sorry-rephrase-i-was-assuming-henry-and) made me wonder... How _would_ Henry and Mabel fit into the TAUwarts universe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obscurials are mentioned in the Fantastic Beast movie, which is pretty decent, if you haven't seen it yet. There aren't really spoilers here, it's just the concept of Obscurials.
> 
> I dislike the title but I couldn't come up with anything else, so... eh. *shrugs*

"Hey, Henry! Over here!"

He looked up from the book he was reading. This early in the morning there weren't many people at the House tables. There were some other Ravenclaws who enjoyed an early start and a couple of Gryffindors who were hurriedly finishing up some homework, but most of the Great Hall was empty. He could usually read in peace and quiet, without the snide comments of his housemates.

It was an unspoken tradition in Ravenclaw to single out one student for bullying, and the past four years Henry had been the 'lucky' one, with his secondhand, too short robes, and his lacking social skills. It wasn't too bad, though. So they occassionally hid his books, or destroyed his homework, or called him names. At least no one hit him. It could be so much worse, after all. So he kept his head down and didn't complain and he'd actually found a lot of interesting little nooks and crannies in this castle, while on the hunt for his belongings.

It weren't Ravenclaws calling for him. His housemates wouldn't call for 'Henry' - no, their favorite name for him was currently 'Weasley Wannabe', for a wizarding family who was known for being poor and having red hair. One of their kids had just started First Year and got sorted into Gryffindor.

Talking about Gryffindor, it was one of them who had called his name. His cousin Wendy, as tall and redheaded as he was, but three years older and at least twenty times louder. He was going to miss her when she graduated in June. She'd kept on eye on him, as much as she was able to, being in different years and Houses after all.

She was sitting at the Hufflepuff table - house rules were a bit laxer this early in the morning - together with a girl Henry vaguely recognised as being in the year lower than him.

"Hi!" she said. Her hair was a rainbow of colour and her hat was covered in little stickers of canaries. As Henry stared, one of them chirped. "I'm Mabel! Whoa, you're even taller up close!"

Mabel... Mad Mabel? He overheard some other Ravenclaws gossip about her. Apparently she was the grand-niece of Stanford Pines, an eccentric researcher who'd been famous for some big magical breakthroughs before suddenly dropping off the radar. Gossip had it that he'd gone crazy and now spent his time conning Muggles. His grand-niece was just as crazy as he was, they'd said. Brain all addled. Not that they'd ever tell her that to her face. Hufflepuff looked after its own.

"Nice to meet you," he said, taking her hand when she offered it to him. She turned the handshake into a complicated high five and beamed at him.

"This is my cousin Henry, I've told you about him, right?" Wendy said.

"You never told me he's _cute_."

Henry felt his cheeks grow warm. "Er," he said.

"Mabel's also from Gravity Falls," Wendy went on, as if Mabel's outburst was just a normal part of conversation. "So I hear you're staying at Hogwarts this Christmas break?"

He nodded quietly. His parents would have a fit when they found out, but... that wasn't his problem. Not anymore.

Wendy held his gaze for a moment. "Good," she said. "Well, in that case - how about you spend Christmas at my place?"

"Sorry?"

She'd offered him before, in his First Year. That's when they met and discovered they were cousins. His father never liked to talk about the magical side of his family. He hadn't been happy at all when Henry got his Hogwarts letter.

Henry had never taken Wendy's offer, knowing what his parents would think about him spending the holy time of Christmas not in church, but with his witchcraft practicing relatives.

"You should come," Wendy said. "It's time you met your non-crazy relatives, right? And the Winter Solstice celebrations in Gravity Falls are wicked."

"You don't celebrate Christmas?"

"We do," Wendy clarified. "But not everyone does, so we celebrate pretty much every winter holiday back home. It's awesome! There's even a band of feral House Elves in the forest that have this tradition of half-naked spear-fishing in the freezing river - on second thought, you might want to ignore that last one. Dad and some of the lads joined in last year and I tell you, even _Obliviate_ isn't enough to scrub that from my memory."

"Tell me about it," Mabel laughed. "Grunkle Stan had a hangover for days."

Her eyes were brown and sparkled as she smiled. She had little dimples in her cheeks, Henry noticed.

"So, you coming?" Wendy asked. "Dad can arrange it with the Headmaster, no problem."

The canary on Mabel's hat chirped again.

Henry swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. He nodded.

\--

Gravity Falls was... different.

Henry had never lived amongst wizards, so he didn't have much to compare it with, but in Diagon Alley there hadn't been this many magical beings walking around, just seeming to live their lives in peace without being stared at by the normal human beings. In a village where Muggles also lived. Though these Muggles seemed to be used to the creatures living near them and didn't even bat an eye when a Manotaur - some rare centaur-related breed Henry had never heard about - entered the butcher's and roared about "I AM BUYING A POUND OF SAUSAGE! THAT ONE WITH GARLIC!"

Uncle Dan was large and loud enough to have some Manotaur blood himself, Henry thought. But he was nice, just like his little nephews and Uncle Tyler and everyone else. Nice, and welcoming, and friendly.

As he'd said... Gravity Falls was different. He'd only been here a few days but... he could get used to this.

Then there was Mabel.

She'd talked his ears off on the train ride from Hogwarts to King's Cross, where they'd taken the Floo to Gravity Falls. Once there though, she'd left for her Grunkle's house and he'd barely seen her. The few times he ran into her in town she seemed... preoccupied.

Still nice though. Still smiling at him, brightly and warm.

\--

The town surely knew how to throw a party. To be honest, it was all getting to be a bit too much for Henry - the music and the noise and the firecrackers and all the people...

He told Uncle Tyler he was going to take a walk and fled the town centre. This was better. Hereon the edge of town, looking out over the rolling meadows and scattered farmlands, he could finally breathe again.

He took out his wand. Students weren't supposed to use magic during the holidays, but Wendy had told him this town was saturated with so much magic already that the Ministry wouldn't notice if he used some small spells. He'd always had a knack for Herbology, so he teased some of the shrubbery to grow, weaving the wood together to create something resembling a bench. It was surprisingly comfortable.

His makeshift bench sagged a bit when someone sat down next to him.

"Whew!" Mabel said. "What a party! Are you okay?"

He glanced at her. Her hair was brown this time, but trailing with so many colourful ribbons and sparkly hairpins she still looked like a rainbow princess, matching her festive winter cloak with the moving reindeer. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold and excitement.

"I'm fine," he said. "Just a bit of a headache."

"Oh!" she blinked, and whipped out her wand. It didn't even surprise him that she'd glued little rhinestones to the handle. "I know a spell to cure headaches. May I?"

He stared at the tip of the wand and hesitated. "Alright."

The wand bopped the skin above his nose. " _Metaxalonium._ "

The tension in his forehead eased. The noises from the party didn't lessen, but the pounding behind his eyes did.

"Thank you," he said. "That actually worked."

She grinned at him. "Don't underestimate the Power of Mabel."

"I won't," he promised, and their eyes met.

Her smile turned soft. Her head tilted towards his. Their lips touched, and Henry didn't feel the cold sting of the wind anymore.

"Hey, you!"

They pulled apart hurriedly, and Henry turned his startled face in the direction of the voice. They had been alone, a moment ago, hadn't they? There was a boy, about their age, standing with clenched hands a bit further in the street. Where had he come from so suddenly?

"What are you doing with my sister?" the boy snarled. Sparks, black and threathening, gathered around his hands.

Mabel got between them as Henry was still looking for an answer. "Dipper! Be nice!"

"I'm not letting you get hurt again, Mabel."

"Henry isn't like that. Now how about you calm down, Dipdops, and we'll introduce you properly, huh?"

The boy met Henry's eyes and suddenly he couldn't breathe anymore. Those eyes... they were burning gold and black and _endless_ , seeming to look right through him, into his greatest fears and innermost thoughts and he was small and insignificant and _nothing_ -

The boy burst apart in what seemed to be a cloud of undulating darkness, magic so thick and powerful Henry could only stare. The ball of magic shot up into the sky. Lightning flashed, followed only a second later by a loud thundercrack.

The boy itself seemed to be gone.

Mabel's brother. About her age, but not attending Hogwarts. With strong magic he apparently couldn't entirely control. Henry had read about things like this - it had been a somewhat morbid interest of him. The way he'd grown up, he could count himself lucky to have avoided this fate himself, after all. Though the stories claimed this only happened to really powerful witches and wizards.

"Your brother... is he an Obscurial?" Henry whispered.

Mabel bit her lip.

"No," she said. "Not exactly."

There was a painful silence, as they both watched the dark cloud of magic shimmer across the sky. Lightning flashed again, bright and unnaturally golden, and cracked one of the trees in the distance. Bits of wood scattered across the landscape. The broken tree stump burst into bright blue flames.

Mabel's hand found his. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and told him.

About her brother, and what a gifted wizard he had been. Their parents didn't have any magic, but their grand-uncle Stanford did, so they had been sent to him to spend their summers with him. Only he hadn't been the real Stanford at all.

She told him about the brilliant researcher, meddling with magic so far removed from reality that labels as 'dark' or 'light' couldn't even apply. Something _alien_. Something _powerful_.

And it had _taken_ him, a long time ago, and he'd only recently been brought back. By his Squib of a twin brother, who'd pretended to be Stanford for years so he'd have better access to the magical world. And by opening the doorway for his brother... the thing that had stolen him slipped through as well.

She told him about that strange, horrible summer right before her eleventh birthday, as best as she could. Some of the things she'd seen transcended comprehension too much to put into words.

But they'd won. The world would never know how close it had been to utter destruction, but they'd won. For a price.

Her brother had been _changed_ by that monster. In ways even her brilliant grand-uncle failed to fully comprehend. He was different now - more different each day, it seemed - and sometimes it seemed he was hanging onto his humanity by his fingertips. But he was her brother, and she loved him, and he tried. He really tried.

Henry was quiet, when Mabel's words finally dried up and the silence returned, even more suffocating than before.

What could he say?

The storm had moved across the horizon, the rumbling thunder distant and muted. The blue flames had completely devoured the tree, leaving behind only scorched grass.

Mabel was shaking slightly. Ever since meeting her he'd admired the way she wore her heart on her sleeve, how she _dared_ the world, how she showed all her passions openly and with enthusiasm. It was almost physically painful to see her like this - uncertain, sad... too quiet.

Carefully, slowly, Henry slid one arm around her shoulders. "You must have been really brave, both of you."

She leaned into his embrace and he returned her hug, awkwardly but sincere.

"Would you like to meet him?" she asked. "Properly, I mean. When he's calmed down. He's going to be _really_ embarrassed about this outburst, you'll see."

To his credit, Henry only hesitated a second.

"Yes," he said. "I do."


End file.
